Bill Cosby dodges direct questions on scandal in ABC interview

Reuters Staff

2 Min Read

Comedian Bill Cosby performs at The Temple Buell Theatre in Denver, Colorado in this file photo from January 17, 2015.Barry Gutierrez

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Comedian Bill Cosby, accused by dozens of women of sexual assault, gave his first interview in months on Friday but evaded direct questions about the scandal that has damaged his long career.

Asked by ABC News in an interview aired on "Good Morning America" how he would answer if a young person asked him if the allegations were true, Cosby said he was "prepared to tell this young person the truth about life."

"I'm telling you where the road is out. I'm telling you where, as you're driving, you're going to go into water and it looks like it might only be three inches deep, but you and your car are going to go down," he said.

"Now you want to go here or you want to be concerned about who's giving you the message?" the 77-year-old said.

More than 40 women have accused Cosby of sexual assault, most recently writer Sammie Mays and actress Lili Bernard.

Cosby, best known for his role as Dr. Cliff Huxtable on the hit TV series "The Cosby Show," has never been charged over any of the allegations. He settled a 2005 civil lawsuit alleging sexual misconduct.

His attorney Marty Singer has dismissed the allegations as discredited and defamatory.

The accusations led to cancellations of a number of stops on Cosby's recent live "Far From Finished" comedy tour, and some shows attracted protesters and hecklers.

Scheduled appearances by Cosby on television talk shows also were canceled. NBC scratched plans to develop a pilot project with the comedian, and cable network TV Land stopped showing repeats of "The Cosby Show."

In an interview about his art collection in November on National Public Radio, Cosby declined to answer questions about the accusations.